The present invention relates to hand railing and more particularly to safety railing used at construction sites.
According to current Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards, safety railing must be provided at construction sites on elevated areas whether planar, concrete pads for instance, or inclined, e.g. stair case. OSHA standards require that the height of the railing for stair cases be at a minimum of approximately 36 inches from the surface. On planar surfaces the requirement is that the height be a minimum of approximately 42 inches.
Safety railing is necessary at construction sites to prevent accidents. Such railing prevents personnel from falling and also keeps loose tools and debris from being inadvertently kicked over the edge of an elevated surface. Examples of such safety railings are disclosed in the following U.S. Patents.
______________________________________ Inventor(s) U.S. Pat. No. ______________________________________ Mocny et al. 3,756,568 Marsh 3,881,698 De Barbieri 3,848,854 Arteau et al. 4,830,341 Weinert 3,776,521 ______________________________________
Mocny disclose a removable guard rail stanchion having a two part post and two brackets for securing horizontal railings to the post. The brackets are fixed in position by bolts so that the openings of the brackets are facing upwardly for reception of the railings. The post and bracket assembly of Mocny are designed for use on a floor or concrete slab, but not on a stair case.
Marsh, De Barbieri, Arteau, and Weinert disclose examples of safety railings, but none are disclosed as being usable on a stair case, or on a combination of surfaces such as a stair case and landing.